Transitioning from RIICE to "Vietris" in Vietnam

RIICE Transition Scenario

Current MoU between SDC and MARD is to end as scheduled in April 2017.
Some funds will be set aside to allow NIAPP to run processing and modelling of the main spring and summer seasons in Red River Delta and selected Mekong River provinces, including a minimal amount of field work. Results of that work are to be presented in a workshop in September. An end of project Steering Committee might also be scheduled around then.

Plan A:
IRRI should be the MARD-facing party of RIICE in an attempt to secure buy-in for a Vietris-funding from 2018 onwards to support the crop insurance programme that is to restart at the same date.
IRRI shall be guided by the RIICE NPM in its approach to MARD but it might not have to go through NIAPP.

PLAN B:
SwissRe and the primary insurers BaoViet and BaoMinh would be the prime technology users and would have to pay for an adoption at more limited scale.

End of Phase II

April 30, 2017

Follow-on work to deliver remaining key product

May 1, 2017 - September 22, 2017

Scope of follow-on work should be:

Red River Delta Spring Season (March to June) and potentially the first part of the summer season (July to October). (Ninh is in favour of that, Michael does not see a need, since Red River Delta yields can be generated without field work).

Negotiations with NIAPP are ongoing to define the financial scope for this.

Mekong River Delta seasons have to be backed up with field work to be undertaken by CTU (max 5000 USD per season) - but processing capacity for this by Sarmap and IRRI is not budgeted and might not be unless there is a clear interest by anyone to fund it (insurance companies).

A technical review meeting/accelerator week with CTU should be considered though (open discussion point)

MARD internal evaluation

May 1, 2017 - September 22, 2017

MARD internal evaluation needs to be accompanied by regular SDC questions on its progress.
MARD should be invited to present their findings in the late-August stakeholder workshop, acknowledging that this date mark not yet the end-point of their evaluation

PLAN A; VIETRIS MoU between IRRI and MARD

May 1, 2017 - December 31, 2017

Negotiations on an IRRI-led MoU with MARD should take place throughout 2017, identifying IRRI as the clear party to replace SDC as a signatory.

IRRI-lead should be manifested through a meeting between IRRI DG Morell and MARD minister, facilitated by the Swiss Ambassador

RIICE Formal Ending Workshop

Approx. May 23, 2017

Hosted by NIAPP. Costs around 3000 CHF. Simple and more internal setting. But with MARD

IDEA:
Technology to be applied in a geographically limited setting in Mekong River Delta only. Processing and field validation would be undertaken by CTU. CTU would also purchase the license. SwissRe and BaoViet/BaoMinh would have to pick up the bill.

PRECONDITION:
Input from IRRI on what other technical input is needed to run yield stats on commune level (shape-files? weather data? soil info?)

Stakeholder Workshop / Result Presentation

September 18, 2017

SDC-led workshop where the results of latest seasons are being presented to key decision-makers. Major inputs from NIAPP but also Sarmap/IRRI needed on the technical side.

Workshop should be a milestone for IRRI-led pitch for crop monitoring system.

Assumed start of Crop Insurance Programme

January 1, 2018

PLAN A: Start of VIETRIS (RIICE Phase III Vietnam)

January 1, 2018

Use of RIICE technology in selected regions of the crop insurance programme

January 1, 2018 - December 31, 2018

The regions to be selected depends primarily on the realisation of Plan A vs Plan B. If Plan A is successful, the scope could be broad, if not, it might be more limited.